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Ann Croft

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Saturday, 30 January 2010

Luis "Louie Lou" Ojeda, called a large-scale cocaine trafficker by federal officials and a stellar landlord and family man by his supporters, was sentenced Wednesday to 12½ years in federal prison and five years supervised release.Chief U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson also ordered Ojeda to forfeit $19,309 in cash that was seized from him. A jury had found Ojeda guilty in October of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He has been held in federal custody since his conviction. Ojeda was a target of a federal, state and local investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, into cocaine trafficking in eastern Connecticut. Investigators used surveillance, controlled purchases of cocaine, GPS tracking devices and court-authorized wiretaps to build their case. They seized 9 kilograms of cocaine and more than $35,000 in cash.The investigation revealed that Ojeda purchased more than 20 kilograms of cocaine over a period of several years from co-defendant Anthony Morse of Gales Ferry, which he sold to customers. Near the end of the conspiracy, when Morse was having trouble procuring cocaine from his sources, Morse began to obtain cocaine through Ojeda, who had alternate sources of supply.

Ojeda faced a mandatory minimum prison term of at least 10 years. New London prosecutor Paul J. Narducci, who is cross-deputized as a special assistant U.S. attorney, argued that Ojeda had put "a lot of cocaine into the streets of New London."

Gambling records seized from the area's two casinos indicated that Ojeda had spent $1.7 million at Foxwoods Resort Casino between 2001 and 2007 and $1.3 million at Mohegan Sun during the same time period. Ojeda's attorney, Jonathan Einhorn, asked for a reduction in the sentence, arguing that Ojeda was not a drug dealer of the same caliber of others convicted of the same offenses. He said Ojeda was a legitimate contractor who had rehabilitated several New London properties to provide safe and affordable housing for low-income families. Ojeda's family members asked the judge for mercy, and Ojeda also spoke at length. He apologized for embarrassing his family and vowed to improve himself in prison. "I will find a way to better myself and get back to my family a better man," he said. Following Ojeda's conviction, Morse pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. He was sentenced on Jan. 10 to 6 years of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release

Five men were arrested and a “substantial” sum of cash was also seized during subsequent raids at addresses in Teesside and County Durham.Police pulled over the driver of a Range Rover for talking on a mobile on Albert Road, Middlesbrough on Wednesday.Officers searched the vehicle and discovered around £500-worth of what was believed to be class A drugs. police retrieved a holdall bag from the car.Five men, aged 18, 21, 22 and 24, were arrested by the roadside, Cleveland Police confirmed.DC Andy McLoughlin said: “Officers pulled over a car in a random check and found a quantity of what are believed to be class A drugs worth approximately £500.Subsequent inquiries have resulted in the searching of a number of properties in the Cleveland and County Durham areas and a substantial amount of cash has been recovered.”All five men have now been bailed pending further investigations.

Raymond Chan, displayed signs of intoxication and when asked to exit the vehicle, he was unable to stand by himself, police said. Chan stated that he had used cocaine a couple hours prior and that he had cocaine and Xanax in his pockets. He was charged with driving while intoxicated by drugs, criminal possession of a controlled substance and several traffic violations. He is due at First District Court in Hempstead on Jan. 29.

Margarito Saucedo, 37, was on his way to the Chicago area to deliver the drugs when he was pulled over, and the second man, Moses Moreno, 41, was the intended recipient of the drugs. He was arrested later in Aurora.The pair have been charged in federal court in Springfield with conspiring to distribute cocaine.The traffic stop happened about 10:30 a.m. Jan. 11. An Illinois State Police trooper pulled over a tractor-trailer with Texas license plates between Elkhart and Lincoln. The truck, which was heading north, had an expired registration sticker on the trailer, authorities said.The trooper talked to the driver, Saucedo, and asked for his logbook, driver’s license and other paperwork, according to an affidavit filed in federal court. The trooper determined Saucedo had no valid driver’s license and that he had been arrested previously for a drug violation and aggravated assault with a weapon.During a search of the truck, the trooper allegedly found what was described as a “trapped compartment” in the bunk area of the truck. Inside, the trooper found 10 packages of suspected cocaine, each one about a kilogram in weight, according to the affidavit.

Saucedo allegedly told the trooper later he was to be paid $1,000 per kilogram to deliver the drugs to a man at a motel in Aurora. He allegedly told police he had delivered eight to 10 kilograms on at least five prior occasions to the man.

Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration went to the Aurora hotel, where they reportedly watched Moreno retrieve what he thought were the drugs from Saucedo.

Amilcar Caballero was sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance; Calle-Munoz was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance; Kida was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled dangerous substance; Lewis was sentenced to time served after being in the Passaic County Jail for 581 days awaiting the case’s resolution, after pleading guilty to conspiracy, intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a weapon.Watson was sentenced to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute, conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and unlawful possession of a weapon.Amilcar Caballero in the case, was a bit more specific. “There were serious questions about the integrity of one of the state’s most important witnesses,” Breite said outside of court. He declined to say which witness, or what the problem was. “My client was never found to be in possession of drugs. There were no drugs found in his vehicle. There were no drugs founds in his home. He has no prior criminal record,” Breite added.Authorities alleged that leaders of the notorious Jamaican drug gang Shower Posse would arrange for buyers to meet Caballero, 37, along his assigned route, which included stops in Teaneck and other nearby towns. Authorities said it was in Teaneck where they witnessed Caballero drop off packages of cocaine. Caballero was arrested at the UPS hub in Secaucus after he finished his route on March 21. He was charged with drug distribution and conspiracy and fired by UPS.Investigators said at the time of the arrests that the group was led by Oral Watson, a 33-year-old Jamaican national from Paterson, and distributed crack and powder cocaine to dealers throughout Passaic, Bergen and Morris counties. Also arrested was Dwight Donald Lewis, 39, of Paterson, who leased an apartment in Hackensack that the gang used as a stash house, authorities said. Laura Kida, 41, of Pine Brook, and Fabricio Zambrano, 29, and Carlos Calle-Munoz, 28, of Dover, were also arrested as associates of Watson and Lewis.All of the defendants entered guilty pleas to various charges in October and were sentenced Thursdayby state Superior Court Assignment Judge Donald J. Volkert in Paterson.

José Pena, a 48-year-old plumber, and his longtime friend and colleague Cesar Rodriguez, 33, from the Bronx, New York, were arrested on January 15 after police found a bag of what they thought was cocaine, reports The New York Post.The "drugs" were finally tested five days later and determined to be popular Coco (coconut) Candy. The charges were dropped.The ordeal began when the pair stopped at convenience store on the way to a party. When they came out of the store police asked to search their Ford minivan."I said ‘Go search.’ I even opened the door," Rodriguez told The Post.An officer rummaged around, came out holding a "Hello Kitty" sandwich bag, and shouted "Bingo!" the men said."It’s only candy!" Rodriguez said, as the cops handcuffed him and Pena, and several other police cars rushed to the scene.Rodriguez said he bought a 50-cent bag of Coco Candy, a hard coconut-based treat, almost every day. Because it easily crumbles, he puts it in a sandwich bag."Can you test it? Can you taste it?" Rodriguez asked the cops. "Shut up!" they replied.The two men were jailed for cocaine possession. Pena got out after three days, but Rodriguez was held two more, because he could not make $5000 bail the judge imposed on him due to a prior robbery conviction, the New York Daily News reported.The two men are now planning to file a $2 million (A$2.21m) lawsuit, the Daily News reported.The men’s lawyer, Neal Wallerstein, said the cops could have realized their mistake quickly."That’s the reason why they have a field-test kit," he said, referring to the New York Police Department’s portable drug identification equipment.The Bronx District Attorney’s office confirmed that the case was dropped after authorities realized there were no drugs. The NYPD had no comment.Rodriguez said he still loves Coco Candy.

Reynaldo "Pichy" Laureano, 36, of Allen Place, was one of 56 Hartford-area people arrested last year after a yearlong federal crackdown on drugs and guns called Operation Solid Gold.Laureano pleaded guilty in November to a single count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin. He was sentenced in Bridgeport by U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton.Prosecutors said that a tap on Laureano's mobile telephone between September and November 2008 and near continual surveillance showed that Laureano's life was dominated by the drug business. They said he and his associates spoke continuously of the distribution of heroin and cocaine, their concern about law enforcement and the use of violence against competitors.

Dion Anthony, 25, of Williams Street, New London, pleaded guilty in U.S. District court Friday to distribution of cocaine base.Authorities said Anthony sold crack cocaine on three occasions last summer during controlled purchases by federal and local law enforcement officers. Officers said they discovered more than 2 ounces of powder cocaine, nearly an ounce of crack cocaine and 15 marijuana plants when they served an arrest warrant at Anthony's house on Oct. 30.Anthony faces a maximum of 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million when he is sentenced April 10.

Sarah Griffiths, 27, an ex-carer, took a mobile, eight sim cards, three wraps of cannabis and 57 tablets of Buprenorphine into Everthorpe Prison near Hull.Griffiths hid the mobile in her pants and posed as a visitor to a man she didn’t know, who was doing 33 months for robbery, Hull Crown Court heard.The drugs had a street value of £295 but inside prison were worth an estimated £885, said Ms Jobes.Ms Griffiths, of Eltham Crescent, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of conveying a telephone to a prisoner on July 11 2009, one charge of supplying a Class C drug and one charge of possession with intent to supply a Class C drug.

Flying instructor David John Lloyd, 63, of Llangristiolus near Llangefni, is charged with conspiracy to import illegal drugs.A passenger aboard a light aircraft which landed at RAF Mona on July 29, Paul Roche, 53, of Prestwich, Manchester, is also charged with conspiracy to import drugs.Their trail should have started at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.But last night a spokesman for HM Revenue and Customs said the matter had been adjourned.“Another man has recently been arrested and charged in connection with this matter and the trial has been adjourned so all matters can be dealt with at the same time,” he said.Lloyd and Roche deny smuggling 14kgs of cocaine worth more than £1m aboard the aircraft.

Thursday, 28 January 2010

convicted Billy Comer Jr., 36, of the sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church.Comer sold crack cocaine to an informant on July 22, the same day he was placed on three-years probation for possession of cocaine, a few hundred feet from St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Blountstown, according to a news release.At sentencing on Feb. 17, prosecutor Bob Pell will try to show that Comer is a habitual felony offender, which would make him eligible for life in prison.

Anthony John Mulraney sealed his own fate after he couldn't be bothered to speak to a probation officer before he was sentenced.The 32-year-old refused to co-operate with any order which could have kept him out of prison - even after a judge urged his advocate to "talk some sense into him".With no previous convictions for drug dealing and only one for possession, jail was "not a forgone conclusion", said Judge Les Spittle.But Mulraney would not contribute to a pre-sentence report and insisted from the dock: "I don't want a report."Judge Spittle was left with no option but to lock him up at Teesside Crown Court. Mulraney was caught with drugs at the home he shared with his partner and their young son, Prosecutor Ian Mullarkey told how police raided Mulraney's home on Greencroft Walk, Park End, Middlesbrough on April 24 last year. A total of 447 diazepam tablets were found stashed in various parts of the house. They included 375 pills in make-up boxes, 45 on a glass cabinet in the living room, 15 in a biscuit tin in the kitchen and one bag in Mulraney's trouser pocket. A small quantity of cannabis was also discovered.On arrest Mulraney told police, referring to his partner: "It's all mine. She had nothing to do with it." His text messages pointed to dealing.Mulraney initially told officers in interview the tablets were for his own use, using 200 tablets a week, then said he was minding 200 pills for a friend, his supplier.He later said he bought 1,000 tablets for £150 and sold them for 50p each, spending profits on clothes and to fund his own addiction.Mulraney, now of Melsonby Avenue, Park End, admitted possessing diazepam with intent to supply and possession of cannabis. He had a long criminal record with offences of dishonesty. Brian Russell, defending, pointed towards Mulraney's lack of previous similar offending and his guilty plea.Judge Les Spittle said he did not know whether Mulraney had problems which might merit an approach other than imprisonment.He told the defendant: "It's by your own request that you don't seek this court to have a pre-sentence report prepared upon you to give this court further information."Even if you did have a particular problem using drugs yourself, your principal motivation was gain, financial gain."Mulraney was jailed for 18 months.

Gregory Lora, 18, and Priscilla Jeffrey, 21, were charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony. Jeffrey was also charged with marijuana possession, a violation.They were booked at county police headquarters in Hawthorne on Tuesday night. Jeffrey was released on bail, while Lora was arraigned today in Buchanan Village Court and sent without bail to the Westchester County jail.

Shoukat Yaqoob - locked up for 11 years for conspiracy to supply heroin - worked at an insurance company call centre in Sheffield and used the company's phoneline to mastermind the multi-million pound enterprise.His calls were examined and it emerged he had been working on the orders of 28-year-old Sadakat Ali Malook, of Osgathorpe Road, Fir Vale.Malook, serving a 21-year jail term, was ordered to pay back £196,069 in six months or face a further three years in prison. Naveed Yaqoob, 23, of Barnsley Road, Fir Vale, must pay back £1,516 within a week or have 40 days added to his jail term. His brother Jamil Yaqoob, 25, of Sturton Road, Fir Vale, must pay back £220.29 or face an extra 14 days in jail.The Yaqoob brothers were arrested after police searched a house in Pitsmoor where they were storing their drugs. Bags of heroin with a street value of £100,000, along with equipment used in the mixing, packing and distribution of drugs, were discovered.Naveed was jailed for 13 years for conspiracy to supply heroin and Jamil received five years for the same offence. Two other members of the gang were jailed when the case was first at court in 2007.Jangheer Yaqoob - another of the brothers - received seven years for supplying heroin and crack cocaine, and Christopher Dewey from Doncaster received five years for conspiracy to supply heroin.Last July a court found Shoukat Yaqoob, 27, of Earl Marshal Road, Fir Vale, had profited from the scheme to the tune of a massive £3,115,096 and he was ordered to pay back more than £97,000 or face an extra two years in jail.

Cameron Douglas, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Ronald Ellis in Manhattan federal court to conspiracy to distribute crystal meth and cocaine and to heroin possession.son of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas admitted in a New York court on Wednesday to possessing heroin and dealing large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine out of his hotel room.Douglas was arrested on July 28 at the trendy Gansevoort Hotel in Manhattan and faces at least 11 years and up to life in prison. After his arrest and while on pretrial release, Douglas possessed heroin, the charges said.Douglas sent large quantities of methamphetamine, known by the street names of "crystal meth" and "ice," to New York via FedEx between 2006 and 2009, according to the complaint.He worked with accomplices who are cooperating with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the complaint said.In several different recorded phone calls Douglas referred to the drugs as "pastry" and "salts," the complaint said.Douglas was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine in 2007 in Santa Barbara, California.His two-time Oscar-winner father, Michael Douglas, in an interview in the March/April issue of AARP The Magazine said his son, his only child with his first wife Diandra Luker, is a "tough kid" but that he was still worried about his welfare.In the 2000 movie Traffic, Michael Douglas played a high-powered judge in charge of fighting a war on drugs, only to find out his teenage daughter was a cocaine addict."Cameron has a lot of life ahead. He now recognizes his own demons and struggles," Douglas told the magazine.

Ernest Lee Porter, 34, was arrested Friday, two days after deputies raided his Rio del Mar home, according to Sgt. Mark Yanez.Deputies confiscated about 450 plants from gardens set up in several rooms of the Loma Prieta Drive house and a couple of outbuildings, the Sheriff's Office reported."He had grows everywhere," Yanez said.Porter allegedly had about 10 pounds of marijuana either drying or packaged to sell and approximately $18,500 cash at his house, according to the Sheriff's Office.During the search for pot, deputies also found almost a pound and a half of cocaine and two shotguns, Yanez said.Detectives believe that Porter, who lived in the house, was selling cocaine and marijuana. He told deputies he was a medicinal user, Yanez said."He's selling it, so he's outside of state guidelines," Yanez said. "We don't bust people for being out of the county guidelines. ... Generally cases we do that result in arrests are the people who are selling it."Porter was arrested on suspicion of possessing for sale and transporting cocaine, possessing for sale and transporting of marijuana and enhancements for large quantity of cocaine and possessing firearms while possessing a controlled substance for sale, according to Yanez.Yanez said the marijuana grow tip came in Wednesday. Detectives did some follow-up investigation before going to a judge for a search warrant, which was served the same day. Porter was there when the raid started, but left.County Jail records showed Porter was taken into custody Friday afternoon at a home on the Eastside of Santa Cruz, booked into jail and later released on $100,000 bail.

David R. Colbath, 30, of Jeffersonville, and April Owens, 29, of Clarksville, also were in the vehicle and were arrested, according to Clarksville Police Department Maj. Dale Abell.Colbath and Owens face preliminary charges of dealing in cocaine, possession of cocaine and public intoxication.Clarksville Police Department Maj. Dale Abell said the arrests were made after a traffic stop at the ramp of Veterans Parkway onto East U.S. 31. The arrests were made at 7:16 a.m.Maj. Chuck Adams, of the Clark County Sheriff’s Department, said Terry was booked into jail early Wednesday morning and is being held without bond out of Clark County Superior Court No. 2.“The police reported indicated [Terry] was observed driving erratically,” Clark County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Jeremy Mull saidMull said, according to the police report, a small amount of cocaine was found in a cupholder next to Terry. He also had a handgun directly under his seat that had six rounds in a magazine. He had no gun permit.Mull said police officers alleged Terry refused to obey verbal commands and “stiffened up” when officer attempted to handcuff him.A larger amount of cocaine was found on the ground next to Colbath. Mull said Colbath had more than $1,200 in his possession, while Terry and Owens had a little more than $100.Mull said it is possible that not all of the occupants in the vehicle will be officially charged with dealing in cocaine.Terry, a 6-foot, 5-inch, 295-pound offensive tackle, last played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007.According to his www.nfl.com profile, Terry was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played four seasons for the Panthers, three seasons for the Seattle Seahawks and two seasons for the Chiefs after attending University of Georgia.According to media reports, Terry was cut by the Chiefs in December 2007 for not attending team meetings. He was then suspended by the NFL for the entire 2008 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He had previously been suspended in 2003 for violating the substance abuse policy and for a domestic dispute with his wife.Terry played in 100 career games, 88 as a starter.

Former NFL offensive tackle Chris Terry is under arrest in Clarksville, Indiana for a number of charges, including possessing and dealing cocaine, resisting law enforcement, and possession of a handgun without a permit, Matt Thacker of the News and Tribune reports.Terry, 34, is being held without bond by the Clark County Sheriff’s Department.A second-round pick (34th overall) out of Georgia in 1999 by the Carolina Panthers, Terry spent the first 3+ seasons of his NFL career with the Panthers before being released after missing a court date related to a domestic assault charge.Chris Terry, 34, of Jacksonville, Fla., was booked into jail on charges of class A felony dealing cocaine and class C felony possession of cocaine along with charges of operating while intoxicated by refusal, resisting law enforcement, possession of a handgun without a permit and driving with a suspended license.

Troubled rocker Pete Doherty has been ordered to pay a fine after he was caught carrying heroin into a U.K. court in December. The Babyshambles frontman landed himself in trouble after he was frisked by guards on his way into Gloucester Crown Court for sentencing over a series of driving offenses. Security staff saw a small packet fall out of his coat and the star was arrested in the corridor on his way out. His lawyer argued at Gloucester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday that Doherty had forgotten the 13 wraps of heroin were in the jacket - but the judge branded it a "stupid" move. District Judge Joti Boparai told the star, "Either this was sheer stupidity or a ploy to get more publicity." He was ordered to pay $1,200 but escaped a rehabilitation order as the judge ruled public funds shouldn't be spent on him as Doherty is already paying for private drug treatment. Doherty would be questioned after new evidence emerged in an unsolved 2006 party death. The evidence corroborates the allegation that the rocker was involved in a fight with the victim prior to his death from a multi-story fall.In unrelated troubles to come, friend and filmmaker Robin Whitehead, a member of the wealthy British Goldsmith family, was found dead of a drug overdose on Sunday. According to the Daily Mail, Whitehead, 27, was ten days into filming a documentary about Doherty, and had been with him at the place of her death just a day before she was found.When confronted with the news of Whitehead's death while leaving the courthouse on Wednesday, Doherty told a reporter, "I don't know what you're talking about."Pete Doherty On Tuesday, the Babyshambles frontman was slapped on the wrist for his latest offense – bringing 13 doses of heroin into a drunk-driving hearing. An England court handed him only a $1,400 fine. But it's about to get worse for the embattled tabloid prince. Maybe a whole lot worse after friend Robin Whitehead was found dead of an overdose just a day after visiting the rocker.Doherty was in court for sentencing on Dec. 21 for June charges of driving carelessly, while drunk and in possession of drugs when "13 wraps of heroin" fell from his pocket. "He was in a rush to get to court. He was handed a coat and he didn't check the pockets," his lawyer explained to the judge on Tuesday.The popular musician plead guilty to the December charges. He was ordered to pay $3,300 in fines and banned from driving for 18 months. The drugs fell out of his pockets upon his exiting the courthouse."Either this was sheer stupidity or a ploy to get more publicity," Judge Joti Boparai told Reuters on Wednesday.His lawyer explained to the court that Doherty "is a recovering heroin addict and has received some very sophisticated medical treatment."Because he is currently in treatment, and reportedly using medical implants that cancel the effects of heroin, Judge Boparai decided against using the "public purse" to rehabilitate the singer.

Ryan Freeman has been placed on administrative leave from both his law enforcement posts after police said he illegally searched for information on two drug trafficking suspects.He is both a corrections officer with the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office and a Braceville Police Department officer. Freeman was arrested last week on charges of unauthorized use of the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway and obstruction of justice after officials with Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force executed a search warrant at his home.Police said he'd illegally used the OLEG information system to search the backgrounds of acquaintances Frederick Johnson and Brandy Purbaugh. During the search in late December, he learned they were suspects in a heroin ring investigation in Trumbull County. Johnson and Purbaugh were arrested after raids in Warren earlier this month.Freeman also searched information on two officers, said police.Braceville Police Chief Bill Garro said Freeman's has worked at the department as an unpaid reserve officer for just a little over one month and has been placed on unpaid administrative leave."I was flabbergasted when I heard the news," Garro said.Tarro said any further action regarding Freeman's status or employment will be up to township trustees.Meanwhile, Freeman has also been placed on paid administrative leave by the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, where he's worked for about three years.Freeman pleaded not guilty to his charges in Warren Municipal Court earlier this week and posted $5,000 bond.

Tuesday, 26 January 2010

Michael Hawcroft, 23, of Charles Street, Warners Bay, did not enter pleas and did not apply for bail in Newcastle Local Court.He was charged with four counts of supplying commercial quantities of ecstasy and one count of supplying cocaine.His case was adjourned to May.Police intercepted 60,000 thousand telephone calls and text messages, the court heard.A woman, 20, believed to be one of the charged men's partner, was arrested when she attended Newcastle police station and was expected to be charged last night.EIGHT young men remained behind bars last night, accused of being involved in a major drug distribution ring that had supplied more than 27,000 ecstasy pills to Newcastle's party scene in just three months.Specialist police raided six properties in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Sydney following an intense investigation, which will allege the supply of drugs with a potential street value of more than $750,000.Six of the eight men face at least one count of supplying a large commercial quantity of ecstasy, which carries a maximum jail term of 15 years.Police also seized two cars, a Harley Davidson motorcycle, televisions, stereos and hundreds of ecstasy tablets, cocaine and steroids.The National Parks and Wildlife Service was called in to seize a snake from a New Lambton address while a search warrant on a Kemps Creek house was suspended while specialist police from the force's chemical operations unit were called in after glassware and other items were discovered.Newcastle City local area commander Superintendent Max Mitchell said Strike Force Sloman had put a major dint in the supply of the so-called party drug in Newcastle."The bottom line is that it is an unfortunate state of play that we have young men ranging in age from 19 to 26 who have been involved in this type of crime and supplying, in general, these drugs to young members of our community," Superintendent Mitchell said.". . .what it shows the general community is that we do have a problem with the supply of ecstasy within our community and that is very unfortunate."Police allege that at least one of the men had supplied cocaine and LSD.Officers raided two units in Newcastle and residences in Warners Bay, Cooks Hill, New Lambton and Kemps Creek in Sydney.The 26-year-old arrested at Kemps Creek is a member of the Hells Angels bikie gang and a Newcastle man, 20, has links with the Gladiators.A Cooks Hill man, 19, was charged with one count of using a phone service to procure a person under 16 years for a sexual act.Two men were arrested in a gym car park in Warners Bay, another was arrested at Honeysuckle and a fourth was taken into custody at Kooragang Island.Superintendent Mitchell said using drugs had become a widespread problem within the Newcastle party precinct and he would be seeking meetings with publicans and stakeholders in a bid to find solutions."I think the majority of ecstasy is supplied for the purpose of individuals who can go out to our entertainment areas, dance parties, etcetera," he said."That is the purpose of the drug, it gives the individual the high they are looking for."We know that it is a cheap form where they buy a tablet for a night out for $25 on average. Of course, $25 is a lot cheaper than going into some of our licensed premises and spending in the vicinity of $100 or more on the purchase of alcohol."That is the simple and sad fact of what we are putting up with today."Only one of the eight men faced court yesterday with the others due to appear in Newcastle Local Court today.

John Andrew Blenkinsop, 25, of Huntley Close, and Lee Alan Cunningham, 23, of Grendon Walk, pleaded guilty to taking part in the drugs plot.They conspired to supply heroin and cocaine between August 12 and September 26, Teesside Crown Court was told yesterday. Cunningham also admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply on September 25.Prosecutor Jolyon Perks said Cunningham's address was raided by police. He said: "The quantity of diamorphine that was recovered from that address was part and parcel of a stash that he and his co-conspirators were distributing." Judge George Moorhouse adjourned the case for pre-sentence reports. He remanded Cunningham in custody and allowed Blenkinsop conditional bail saying: "The mere fact that I'm asking for a report mustn't give you false hopes."

Sunday, 17 January 2010

Five drug warrants after indictments led to the arrest of three females Friday by the Hancock County Sheriff's Office. Two other females plan on turning themselves in as soon as they return to the state, according to Detective John Robinson of the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force.Twenty-seven year old Christina Reed of Newell was arrested at her residence Friday on charges of transporting heroin into the state with intent to deliver, and possession of heroin with intent to deliver.Jacklyn, 20, and Angela Kimble, 18, of New Cumberland were also arrested on charges of conspiracy to deliver heroin and delivery of heroin.Jamie Leek, 26, formerly of Newell has been charged with conspiracy to deliver heroin and delivery of heroin. Leek was in Illinois when an officer contacted her regarding the drug warrant and indictment. She will be turning herself in as soon as possible, Robinson said.Kaysha Knox, 19, of Newell has been charged with delivery of heroin. Knox was in Atlanta, Ga., when she was contacted by an officer regarding the drug warrant and indictment. Knox will also be turning herself in as soon as possible.Robinson said all arrests were made and indictments returned Friday. The cases will be handled by the Hancock County Circuit Court.

Wednesday, 13 January 2010

Jeff Dubay was sentenced to the Ramsey County workhouse last July on a felony drug possession charge. Dubay moved to an in-patient drug treatment program in November but repeatedly failed drug tests. According to Ramsey County Court, Dubay's court-ordered drug tests came back positive for cocaine. Dubay will now serve the remaining 88 days of his original 180 days in the workhouse. Dubay was a morning-show host at KFAN-AM with Paul Allen for 10 years. He was fired in October 2008, after being arrested in Maplewood for throwing a plastic bag out of his car that contained cocaine.

Jose G. Delgado, 25, aka “Z,” of 2325 N. Gonnam Road, Morris was charged with three counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, all Class X felonies carrying mandatory prison sentences of 6-30 years with no possibility of probation.Robert F. Tanner, 28, of 136 DeLeon St., Apt. 1, Ottawa was charged with two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, both Class X felonies. Ashley C. Arwood, 25, of 2325 N. Gonnam Road, Morris was charged with two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, both Class X felonies.The arrests follow a months-long investigation by Ottawa Police Department Narcotics Unit, the FBI and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.An Ottawa Police Department press release issued Tuesday stated all three subjects were involved in a powder cocaine dealing investigation dating back to spring 2008 and that it may have ties to the Almighty Latin King Nation, specifically from the Aurora area. Police said Delgado is a known member of the gang.Delgado was ordered held on $200,000 bond; he needs to post $20,000 in cash to be released from custody. Arwood and Tanner both were ordered held on $150,000 and need to post $15,000 in cash.

Michael Calleja, 51 of Kew, Nicola Ciconte, 54, Vincenzo Medici, 45 and Carmelo Loprete, 41, are to be tried next month in Vibo Valentia in Calabria.The Age reported that the four allegedly conspired with the Calabrian mafia to ship up to 500kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of $50 million from South America to Melbourne through Italy between 2002 and 2004.The alleged plot was discovered by the Italian police in an operation code names Operation Decollo thanks to infiltrators of the international drug networkCalleja, Medici and Loprete allegedly made several trips to Italy to work out the details of their shipments.Malta-born Calleja is said to have inspected the drugs and later was recorded telling Ciconte that the furniture was beautiful.Australia refused Italian requests for the extradition of the four men.

Monday on an online federal court records database. The documents themselves are not public.John Powell, a spokesman for the U.S Attorney's Office for Wyoming, said Tuesday he could not comment on the possibility of a plea agreement. Attorneys for Epler and Walla did not respond to messages left at their offices.A hearing for Epler to enter a guilty plea has been set for Tuesday before a federal magistrate judge in Casper, court documents show. The same court has scheduled a similar hearing for Walla the following day.Prosecutors have charged Walla, Epler, Joel Murdoch and Christopher Tyson with conspiring to distribute the heroin and cocaine that resulted in the Dec. 2 death of Bryan Guthrie.The 21-year-old Guthrie was the top-ranked bull rider in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association for three weeks last year. He was also the 2003 national junior bull riding champion.The night before his death, Guthrie used heroin with Walla, Murdoch and a confidential source, according to an affidavit signed by David Stevens, an officer with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Authorities suspect he may have overdosed on the drug.The confidential source told investigators Murdoch, Walla and Tyson drove to Denver on Dec. 1 to buy heroin, and that Guthrie had pitched in $40 or $50.When they returned to Cheyenne, Tyson was dropped off at a trailer park, while Murdoch and Walla continued to Guthrie's house. Once there, the three men, along with the confidential source, used the heroin, according to the affidavit.The source said Murdoch had brought back 1.5 grams of heroin and about $50 of cocaine.In the morning, the source reported finding Guthrie slumped over on a bed. Medics transported him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.The source identified Tyson as Cheyenne's main supplier of heroin, according to the affidavit. Another confidential source and Murdoch allegedly told investigators Epler also distributed heroin.Last month, a federal magistrate ruled Walla and Epler should remain held pending trial. If convicted, they face the possibility of 20 years to life behind bars and $1 million fines.

Wayne Fletcher on Tuesday adamantly denied authorities’ claims they arrested an accused drug dealer and seized more than three kilograms of cocaine at his shop last week. And Fletcher was right, as Manatee County Sheriff’s Office investigators acknowledged the agency reported the wrong location where detectives arrested Jesus “Jesse” Guzman, 32, on federal cocaine trafficking charges. Also, during a raid of Fletcher’s shop, detectives found a marijuana joint, not large amounts of cocaine as originally reported, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Dennis Romano. No arrests were made at the shop. “It blew my mind when I saw that,” said Fletcher. “I have worked to build this place up. People come to me to work on their cars, but I don’t have anything to do with what they do in their lives.”Sheriff’s detectives raided Fletcher’s shop, Classic Customs, 2027 Whitfield Drive, after hearing Guzman and others discuss the shop while they were under investigation by federal and local authorities, Romano said. Romano said Fletcher’s shop came up so much throughout the investigation that detectives believed Fletcher may have been involved with Guzman. A couple of Guzman’s cars were seized during the raid at Fletcher’s shop. Detectives are still investigating whether they were purchased with drug money, Romano said.But it was a simultaneous raid by sheriff’s detectives and DEA agents on Guzman’s home in the 5500 block of Wingate Road in Myakka City, which netted more than three kilograms of cocaine and weapons. Guzman was later arrested at his parents’ house in Palmetto, Romano said.Guzman’s arrest was part of a two-year investigation by federal and local authorities into a drug ring in Manatee and Sarasota counties. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday that Guzman, believed to be the leader of the ring, and 11 others had been indicted on federal weapons and drug charges. “He was pretty significant,” Romano said of Guzman. Fletcher told the Bradenton Herald on Tuesday he knew Guzman and worked on many of his cars, but had no knowledge of the accusations against him. “I can’t control what someone does. His money was green so I did work on his cars,” Fletcher said. Fletcher said sheriff’s detectives treated him well during the raid. “I have no problem with what they did that day,” he said. “I respect they have a job to do. I just want it known that he was not arrested here and I don’t know anything about any cocaine.”

Timothy R. Matson, 29, also known as Justin Mark, of Zanesville, entered guilty pleas to two counts of trafficking in heroin with a forfeiture specification, one count of possession of heroin, one count of possession of marijuana, one count of possession of cocaine, one count of possession of Vicodin and one count of having a weapon while under disability.Matson entered the pleas before Muskingum County Common Pleas Judge Mark Fleegle Tuesday. Fleegle ordered a presentence investigation and bond was continued at $50,000 cash, property or surety.Fleegle also accepted guilty pleas to two counts of deception by Robert C. Gorley, 39, of Malta. Gorley was sentenced to two years in prison